A History of Ambition in 50 Hoaxes (History in #50)
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- Synopsis
- What do the Trojan Horse, Piltdown Man, Keely Motor Company, and Ponzi Scheme have in common? They were all famous hoaxes, carefully designed and bolstered with false evidence. The con artists in this book pursued a variety of ambitions--making money, winning wars, mocking authority, finding fame, trading an ordinary life for a glamorous one--but they all chose the lowest, fastest road to get there. Every hoax is a curtain, and behind it is a deceiver operating levers and smoke machines to make us see what is not there and miss what is. As P.T. Barnum knew, you can short-circuit critical thinking in any century by telling people what they want to hear. Most scams operate on a personal scale, but some have shaped the balance of world power, inspired explorers to sail uncharted seas, derailed scientific progress, or caused terrible massacres. A HISTORY OF AMBITION IN 50 HOAXES guides us through a rogue's gallery of hustlers, liars, swindlers, imposters, scammers, pretenders, and cheats. In Gale Eaton's wide-ranging synthesis, the history of deception is a colorful tour, with surprising insights behind every curtain.
- Copyright:
- 2016
Book Details
- Book Quality:
- Publisher Quality
- ISBN-13:
- 9780884484936
- Related ISBNs:
- 9780884484653, 9780884484929, 9780884484653, 9780884484929, 9780884484653
- Publisher:
- Tilbury House Publishers
- Date of Addition:
- 04/15/17
- Copyrighted By:
- Gale Eaton
- Adult content:
- No
- Language:
- English
- Has Image Descriptions:
- No
- Categories:
- History, Children's Books, Nonfiction, Reference, Law, Legal Issues and Ethics
- Grade Levels:
- Sixth grade, Seventh grade, Eighth grade, Ninth grade, Tenth grade, Eleventh grade, Twelfth grade
- Submitted By:
- Bookshare Staff
- Usage Restrictions:
- This is a copyrighted book.
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- by Phillip Hoose
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